The Nature of Magic
by ShadowPhoenix15
Summary: The nature of Magic and other tidbits and trivia in my For the first time again universe.
1. I - Magic Alignment

Magic alignment;

Neutral: Every wizard or witch is born with neutral magic. Neutral magic is the pure magic that exists within and around us all the time. It is colourless and effortless for anyone to wield until they reach their first shift. After this it becomes harder and harder to wield until the only ones who can do are those capable of wandless magic.

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Light: Light magic is the magic of purity. It is the one most commonly used for healing and is most often found is children who have very good, stable and comfortable, in not slightly luxurious lives. In adults it is common for wielders to believe in certain ideals like ex. 'Forgive them of their sins, they may still repent if given another chance', whereas one who is Dark would kill them before they even had a chance to sin. This does not necessarily make them good people. Light magic wielders feel utter bliss and happiness when wielding Light spells, the usual rush of magic when wielding Grey spells, and feel like they will never feel clean again and a compulsion to bathe or shower to rinse them of this taint whenever they use Dark spells. In the presence of a Dark wizard or witch, may feel dirty or unclean and give them a slight headache.

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Dark: Dark magic is the magic of cruelty. It is the one most commonly used for defence and attack and is most often found in children who have had abusive or cruel homes. In adults it is common for wielders to be sadistic and cruel, with a need to punish and enslave. This does not necessarily make the bad people. Their mode of operations is often to kill before the opposition even has a chance to act against them and they are often quite possessive of what they consider theirs. Dark magic wielders feel utter bliss and glee when wielding Dark spells, the usual rush of magic when wielding Grey spells, and feel as though something is crawling under their skin, burning them from within, making them tense and giving them a need and compulsion to hide in the dark to cool down and relax whenever they use Light spells. In the presence of a Light wizard or witch, may feel like something is moving under their skin and give them a slight fever.

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Grey: Grey magic is the magic of equality. It is the most common form of magic and can be found in nearly every shape and form. As it is the most common of all alignments it is normal for a child to have it, it shows that the child is content and comes from a home where everything is usually happy and good. In adults it is common for wielders to believe that 'a second chance is well deserved, but a third is wrought with peril'. This means that they are likely to give you a second chance, but not a third. This does not necessarily make them either good or bad people. Grey magic wielders feel utter bliss and satisfaction when wielding Grey spells, and the usual rush of magic when wielding Dark or Light spells. When in the presence of a Dark or Light wizard or witch, feels normal unless shaded.


	2. II - Shading

Shading;

Shades: When a wizard or witch is aligned with the Grey they may have different Shades of it, this usually occurs naturally.

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Light Grey: Light Grey is when you are predominately Grey but lean towards the Light. Light spells will come to you easier than Dark spells, though not as easily as one who is Light themselves. In the presence of a Dark wizard or witch, may feel slight unease.

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Dark Grey: Dark Grey is when you are predominately Grey but lean towards the Dark. Dark spells will come to you easier than Light spell, though not as easily as one who is Dark themselves. In the presence of a Light wizard or witch, may feel slight disgust.


	3. III - Shifting part 1

Shifting part 1;

Shifting: Shifting normally happens twice in a wizard or witch' life. Once when they are 6 and their magic aligns itself for the first time, and once again when they turn 17 and reach their magical maturity. Before a witch or wizard turns 6 their magic is neutral. Accidental magic usually consists of summoning toys or levitating them off the ground. After their sixth birthday and their magic has shifted this changes their accidental magic. It starts to become rarer and may require stronger emotions to perform, all the while leaning towards their respective alignment. As they grow their magic is constantly changing and once they turn 17 stops. This is when their magic finally settles and only outside forces may change the alignment.


	4. IV - Shifting part 2

Shifting part 2;

Forceful shifting; Forceful shifting occurs when the alignment you have is forcefully shifted or does not occur naturally.

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Dark: Forceful shifting Dark normally occurs when a witch or wizard is transformed or bitten by a Dark creature. Ex. Werewolf: A born werewolf is naturally Dark in nature and alignment. If a Grey witch or wizard is bitten by a werewolf at any time after their sixth birthday their magic will forcefully align with the dark near instantaneously. If bitten as an adult it may cause insanity and instability in their magic as their body and soul instinctively rejects this change in alignment. In some cases may cause the bitten to lose access to most of their magic. If one is bitten before they turn 6 it will cause your natural alignment to become Dark even if you were meant to be Light or Grey. This can result in the child becoming unstable as an adult. If the child was meant to be Light they usually end up developing psychosis, schizophrenia or antisocial personality disorder (ASPD).

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Light: Forceful shifting Light normally occurs when one is forced to use Light magic over and over again or has it used constantly on you over extended periods of time. Ex. Hospitalization: As most healing spells are Light spells constant exposure and healing is bad for Grey wizards. A Grey wizard kept under constant medical supervision may eventually shift their alignment to Light themselves. This may not sound bad at first, bud the ramifications are astounding. Their psyche will eventually break under the constant pressure and they more often than not end up killing themselves. The horror lies therein that they believe that by killing themselves they are making others happy. There is no knowledge of why this is, and it is said that they are working on locating the answer in the department of mysteries. If this change occurs to an adult it may result in the witch or wizard becoming bipolar. If it happens to a child below 6 their natural alignment will become Light even if they were meant to Dark or Grey. This can result in the child becoming depressed as an adult. If the child was meant to be Dark they may develop eating disorders, self-hatred or suicidal thoughts.

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Grey: Forceful shifting Grey normally occurs when one is either bitten by a dark creature if one is Light and either forced to continually use Light spells over and over or under constant hospitalization if Dark. One cannot forcefully shift their alignment if one is under 6 years old. One has to be either Dark or Light.

If Light and bitten by ex. A werewolf the same thing would occur to you as it would a Grey, only you would become Grey instead of Dark. The difference lies in the psyche. If you were Grey and bit, you could probably live with yourself in relative peace and happiness. Not if you were Light. If bitten as Light you would feel an instinctive revulsion towards oneself and one's magic, magic spells very difficult no matter which alignment and the transformation would be excruciatingly painful each time it happens. One would age prematurely and the normal outcome is suicide.

If one is Dark and ex. Under constant hospitalization the same would happen as if you were Grey and endured it. If you are Grey you would normally end up killing yourself, and if not have a broken psyche. The outcome is much worse if Dark. If one has a Dark alignment and is under constant exposure to Light spells it will always end in murder suicide. The person will first slowly go insane before finally cracking, killing everything and everyone around themselves, no care whatsoever who they might be before killing themselves when finished. If one is to heal a Dark witch or wizard one has to do it as quickly as possible to avoid this.


	5. V - Shifting part 3

Shifting part 3;

Natural Shifting; Natural shifting is when your alignment shifts naturally without outside interference beyond, of course, what is natural.

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Dark: To have a natural dark alignment at 6 one has to either come from an abusive or cruel home, or suffer from a mental disorder that makes it natural for you to be more aligned with the dark. One cannot go from dark alignment to light alignment naturally, one can only become grey. If one is born grey, they can naturally become dark at 17 through various methods. The most common method to shift to dark is through killing.

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Light: To have a natural light alignment at 6 one usually has to either be born with a gentle soul, come from a luxurious home or have a mental disorder that makes it natural for you to be more aligned with the light. One cannot go from light alignment to dark alignment naturally, one can only become grey. If one is born grey, they can naturally become light at 17 through various methods. The most common method to shift to light is by forgiving and forgetting.

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Grey: To have a natural grey alignment at 6 is fairly normal. This usually means that the child is happy and content, having experienced no great struggle or luxury yet. If one is born with a natural grey alignment one can easily shift before 17 to either Light or Dark naturally. There are various methods to achieve this. The most common method to become light is through forgiveness and kindness. The most common method to become dark is through cruelty and hatred.


	6. VI - Runes part 1

Runes part 1

**AN: ****Please Read!**** As rituals and runes feature heavily in For the first time again I have decided to add descriptions of the runes I use. I will also try to include their meaning, use in different rituals or talismans and how its position when used or carved changes its properties. One can use the same rune in a ritual or on a talisman yet end with very different meanings or result. Even the time you use it is important. Note that my usage of the runes may differ from canon and from what is said of the in real life. This is because it is an au and I create the rules. Runes are amazing and have tons of possibility in a magical setting, sort of like the seals used in Naruto. I hope I have not discouraged any of you from reading my story with this, as all I hope to do is make things easier to understand. I will hopefully be able to provide image links to show what the runes and eventual runic and ritual circles will/ does look like. Some of the things runes can do in my story may seem improbable or impossible, but remember, this is a universe where children as young as eleven are allowed to walk around with Power Sticks of Doom and Destruction, while also learning how to use them. Hopefully it won't become too overpowered, but if you feel that it is, please tell me so that I can see if anything can be done about it. **

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Runes;

A basic introduction to Runes: What they mean and their use in names, circles, talismans and rituals.

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Part 1

The Elder Futhark;

The "Elder Futhark", the runic alphabet which is a composite of the runic symbols most commonly used in northern Europe. The names of the runes of the Elder Futhark are speculative recreations of what Historians call "proto-Germanic", which stems from "proto-Indo-European".

There are many versions of the runic alphabets. Each has variations in names, shapes, esoteric meanings and magical uses. One should not mix futharks, or the intent or meaning becomes confused. The Elder Futhark, the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc, and the Younger (or Scandinavian) Futhark are the most frequently seen versions of the runic alphabets in use today.

The runes are broken into three sections or groups of eight, called aett (aettir, plural). This helps one to remember their order, and has significance in magical uses.

First the rune name is given, then its phonetic value, its symbolic image, and finally the esoteric meaning used in divination. Rune masters disagree on whether or not to place a different meaning on a rune that falls in an inverted or reversed position. Some runes look the same upside down and right side up. These cannot be "reversed". Nevertheless, any of the runes may appear as a "merkstave" (which literally means "dark stick" and implies a "dark" meaning), depending on how the runes are cast. Note that a "reversed" or "merkstave" meaning is not the opposite of its primary meaning, but usually has a more negative connotation.

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Freyr/ Freyja's Ætt;

Fehu (F: Domestic cattle, wealth.) Possessions won or earned, earned income, luck. Abundance, financial strength in the present or near future. Sign of hope and plenty, success and happiness. Social success. Energy, foresight, fertility, creation/destruction (becoming). Fehu Reversed or Merkstave: Loss of personal property, esteem, or something that you put in effort to keep. It indicates some sort of failure. Greed, burnout, atrophy, discord. Cowardice, stupidity, dullness, poverty, slavery, bondage.

Uruz: (U: Auroch, a wild ox.) Physical strength and speed, untamed potential. A time of great energy and health. Freedom, energy, action, courage, strength, tenacity, understanding, wisdom. Sudden or unexpected changes (usually for the better). Sexual desire, masculine potency. The shaping of power and pattern, formulation of the self. Uruz Reversed or Merkstave: Weakness, obsession, misdirected force, domination by others. Sickness, inconsistency, ignorance. Lust, brutality, rashness, callousness, violence.

Þurisaz: (TH: Þorn or a Giant.) Reactive force, directed force of destruction and defense, conflict. Instinctual will, vital eroticism, regenerative catalyst. A tendency toward change. Catharsis, purging, cleansing fire. Male sexuality, fertilization. (Thor, the Thunder god, was of Giant stock.)Þurisaz Reversed or Merkstave: Danger, defenselessness, compulsion, betrayal, dullness. Evil, malice, hatred, torment, spite, lies. A bad man or woman. Rape?

Ansuz: (A: The As, ancestral god, i.e. Odin.) A revealing message or insight, communication. Signals, inspiration, enthusiasm, speech, true vision, power of words and naming. Blessings, the taking of advice. Good health, harmony, truth, wisdom. Ansuz Reversed or Merkstave: Misunderstanding, delusion, manipulation by others, boredom. Vanity and grandiloquence. (Odin is a mighty, but duplicitous god. He always has his own agenda.)

Raiðo: (R: Wagon or chariot.) Travel, both in physical terms and those of lifestyle direction. A journey, vacation, relocation, evolution, change of place or setting. Seeing a larger perspective. Seeing the right move for you to make and deciding upon it. Personal rhythm, world rhythm, dance of life. Raiðo Reversed or Merkstave: Crisis, rigidity, stasis, injustice, irrationality. Disruption, dislocation, demotion, delusion, possibly a death.

Kenaz: (K: Beacon or torch.) Vision, revelation, knowledge, creativity, inspiration, technical ability. Vital fire of life, harnessed power, fire of transformation and regeneration. Power to create your own reality, the power of light. Open to new strength, energy, and power now. Passion, sexual love. Kenaz Reversed or Merkstave: Disease, breakup, instability, lack of creativity. Nakedness, exposure, loss of illusion and false hope.

Gebo: (G: Gift.) Gifts, both in the sense of sacrifice and of generosity, indicating balance. All matters in relation to exchanges, including contracts, personal relationships and partnerships. Gebo Merkstave (Gebo cannot be reversed, but may lie in opposition): Greed, loneliness, dependence, over-sacrifice. Obligation, toll, privation, bribery.

Wunjo: (W or V: Joy.) Joy, comfort, pleasure. Fellowship, harmony, prosperity. Ecstasy, glory, spiritual reward, but also the possibility of going "over the top". If restrained, the meaning is general success and recognition of worth. Wunjo Reversed or Merkstave: Stultification, sorrow, strife, alienation. Delirium, intoxication, possession by higher forces, impractical enthusiasm. Raging frenzy, berserker.

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Heimdall's Ætt;

Hagalaz: (H: Hail.) Wrath of nature, destructive, uncontrolled forces, especially the weather, or within the unconscious. Tempering, testing, trial. Controlled crisis, leading to completion, inner harmony. Hagalaz Merkstave (Hagalaz cannot be reversed, but may lie in opposition): Natural disaster, catastrophe. Stagnation, loss of power. Pain, loss, suffering, hardship, sickness, crisis.

Nauthiz: (N: Need.) Delays, restriction. Resistance leading to strength, innovation, need-fire (self-reliance). Distress, confusion, conflict, and the power of will to overcome them. Endurance, survival, determination. A time to exercise patience. Recognition of one's fate. Major self-initiated change. Face your fears. Nauthiz Reversed or Merkstave: Constraint of freedom, distress, toil, drudgery, laxity. Necessity, extremity, want, deprivation, starvation, need, poverty, emotional hunger.

Isa: (I: Ice.) A challenge or frustration. Psychological blocks to thought or activity, including grievances. Standstill, or a time to turn inward and wait for what is to come, or to seek clarity. This rune reinforces runes around it. Isa Merkstave (Isa cannot be reversed, but may lie in opposition): Ego-mania, dullness, blindness, dissipation. Treachery, illusion, deceit, betrayal, guile, stealth, ambush, plots.

Jera: (J or Y: A year, a good harvest.) The results of earlier efforts are realized. A time of peace and happiness, fruitful season. It can break through stagnancy. Hopes and expectations of peace and prosperity. The promise of success earned. Life cycle, cyclical pattern of the universe. Everything changes, in its own time. Jera Merkstave (Jera cannot be reversed, but may lie in opposition): Sudden setback, reversals. A major change, repetition, bad timing, poverty, conflict.

Eihwaz: (EI: Yew tree.) Strength, reliability, dependability, trustworthiness. Enlightenment, endurance. Defense, protection. The driving force to acquire, providing motivation and a sense of purpose. Indicates that you have set your sights on a reasonable target and can achieve your goals. An honest man who can be relied upon. Eihwaz Reversed or Merkstave: Confusion, destruction, dissatisfaction, weakness.

Perthro: (P: Lot cup, vagina.) Uncertain meaning, a secret matter, a mystery, hidden things and occult abilities. Initiation, knowledge of one's destiny, knowledge of future matters, determining the future or your path. Pertaining to things feminine, feminine mysteries including female fertility, and vagina. Good lot, fellowship and joy. Evolutionary change. Perthro Reversed or Merkstave: Addiction, stagnation, loneliness, malaise.

Algiz: (Z or -R: Elk, protection.) Protection, a shield. The protective urge to shelter oneself or others. Defense, warding off of evil, shield, guardian. Connection with the gods, awakening, higher life. It can be used to channel energies appropriately. Follow your instincts. Keep hold of success or maintain a position won or earned. Algiz Reversed: or Merkstave: Hidden danger, consumption by divine forces, loss of divine link. Taboo, warning, turning away, that which repels.

Sowilo: (S: The sun.) Success, goals achieved, honor. The life-force, health. A time when power will be available to you for positive changes in your life, victory, health, and success. Contact between the higher self and the unconscious. Wholeness, power, elemental force, sword of flame, cleansing fire. Sowilo Merkstave (Sowilo cannot be reversed, but may lie in opposition): False goals, bad counsel, false success, gullibility, loss of goals. Destruction, retribution, justice, casting down of vanity. Wrath of god.

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Tyr's Ætt;

Tiwaz: (T: Tyr, the sky god.) Honor, justice, leadership and authority. Analysis, rationality. Knowing where one's true strengths lie. Willingness to self-sacrifice. Victory and success in any competition or in legal matters. Tiwaz Reversed or Merkstave: One's energy and creative flow are blocked. Mental paralysis, over-analysis, over-sacrifice, injustice, imbalance. Strife, war, conflict, failure in competition. Dwindling passion, difficulties in communication, and possibly separation.

Berkano: (B: Berchta, the birch-goddess.) Birth, general fertility, both mental and physical and personal growth, liberation. Regenerative power and light of spring, renewal, promise of new beginnings, new growth. Arousal of desire. A love affair or new birth. The prospering of an enterprise or venture. Berkano Reversed or Merkstave: Family problems and or domestic troubles. Anxiety about someone close to you. Carelessness, abandon, loss of control. Blurring of consciousness, deceit, sterility, stagnation.

Ehwaz: (E: Horse, two horses.) Transportation. May represent a horse, car, plane, boat or other vehicle. Movement and change for the better. Gradual development and steady progress are indicated. Harmony, teamwork, trust, loyalty. An ideal marriage or partnership. Confirmation beyond doubt the meanings of the runes around it. Ehwaz Reversed or Merkstave: This is not really a negative rune. A change is perhaps craved. Feeling restless or confined in a situation. Reckless haste, disharmony, mistrust, betrayal.

Mannaz: (M: Man, mankind.) The Self; the individual or the human race. Your attitude toward others and their attitudes towards you. Friends and enemies, social order. Intelligence, forethought, create, skill, ability. Divine structure, intelligence, awareness. Expect to receive some sort of aid or cooperation now. Mannaz Reversed or Merkstave: Depression, mortality, blindness, self-delusion. Cunning, slyness, manipulation, craftiness, calculation. Expect no help now.

Laguz: (L: Water, or a leek.) Flow, water, sea, a fertility source, the healing power of renewal. Life energy and organic growth. Imagination and psychic matters. Dreams, fantasies, mysteries, the unknown, the hidden, the deep, the underworld. Success in travel or acquisition, but with the possibility of loss. Laguz Reversed or Merkstave: An indication of a period of confusion in your life. You may be making wrong decisions and poor judgements. Lack of creativity and feelings of being in a rut. Fear, circular motion, avoidance, withering. Madness, obsession, despair, perversity, sickness, suicide.

Ingwaz: (NG: Ing, the earth god.) Male fertility, gestation, internal growth. Common virtues, common sense, simple strengths, family love, caring, human warmth, the home. Rest stage, a time of relief, of no anxiety. A time when all loose strings are tied and you are free to move in a new direction. Listen to yourself. Ingwaz Merkstave (Ingwaz cannot be reversed, but may lie in opposition): Impotence, movement without change. Production, toil, labor, work.

Dagaz: (D: Day or dawn.) Breakthrough, awakening, awareness. Daylight clarity as opposed to nighttime uncertainty. A time to plan or embark upon an enterprise. The power of change directed by your own will, transformation. Hope/happiness, the ideal. Security and certainty. Growth and release. Balance point, the place where opposites meet. Dagaz Merkstave (Dagaz cannot be reversed, but may lie in opposition): A completion, ending, limit, coming full circle. Blindness, hopelessness.

Othala: (O: Ancestral property.) Inherited property or possessions, a house, a home. What is truly important to one. Group order, group prosperity. Land of birth, spiritual heritage, experience and fundamental values. Aid in spiritual and physical journeys. Source of safety, increase and abundance. Othala Reversed or Merkstave: Lack of customary order, totalitarianism, slavery, poverty, homelessness. Bad karma, prejudice, clannishness, provincialism. What a man is bound to.

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The Blank Rune;

Blank Rune: There is no historical support for a "Blank Rune" in runic divination. It was invented in the 1980's. It should not be used in a rune casting. If you bought a rune set with a blank piece, save it in case you lose another rune piece, but don't use it in rune casting.

You may have picked up a book about runes or purchased a rune set that includes a "blank rune", "Odin Rune" or "Wyrd Rune". This is a very strong clue that author is not an authority on runes. There is no historical evidence that rune masters of old ever used a blank rune. It's self-evident because a rune is a symbol, not the token that carries it. Have you ever seen a blank symbol? Of course not, that's an oxymoron.

In runic writing, a space, a single two dots (:) may break the symbols or words. Sometimes no break was used and the rune symbols all run together. Runic writing can run from left to right, or from right to left; sometimes even from top to bottom or the opposite. It makes interpretation of runic writing difficult, especially since runic symbols and the languages changed over the years. Even the futharks changed over time. This is why ancient runic inscriptions are often obscure or may be interpreted several ways.

Regardless of the language used, or the Futhark used, or the style of writing used, no one ever used a "blank" rune.

We can thank Charles Winters, half-blood, and his commercially popular but historically inaccurate Book of Runes for the introduction of the "blank rune" in the 1980's. While Winter's books are the most readily available rune books found in bookstores, use of his flawed interpretations reveal the user as a novice and lacking in knowledge of true rune lore. If you've bought one of his books or another of similar ilk, keep the rune set (and save the blank one in case you lose another) but toss the book in the trash and get one recommended by a true rune master instead.

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How to judge a rune book;

1. Does the author stick to the traditional order of the runes and use only historically attested symbols? (Anyone who insists that a "blank rune" or the "uthark" ordering is valid flunks this test.)

2. Does the author support his opinions with Germanic historical and mythical texts - not relying on outside traditions or personal revelations too heavily? (People who put runes on Native American medicine wheels or the Qabalistic Tree of Life flunk this test. So does anyone who interprets the runes largely through magical experiments, with no real academic support.)

3. Does the author use the same language for rune names throughout the book? (Calling one rune by its Norse name and the next by its Anglo-Saxon name is bad linguistics, and probably means that the other facts are just as poorly researched.)

4. Does the author distort the meanings of the runes to fit a personal agenda? (An ultra-feminist author trying to eliminate all male references from the runes would flunk this test.)

5. Does the author claim that only Purebloods can use runes? (Blood supremacists trying to undermine half-bloods and muggleborns flunk this test.)

If you follow these tenants you'll be more likely to find a real rune book written by a true master. Always be sure to check twice if uncertain or ask the attendant for help.


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